Should we be offering a refund?

Q The shop where I work refuses to give a refund if the goods are not damaged in any way, the only exception being if an article of clothing is not the right size, as we do not have changing rooms for customers to ensure correct fitting.

However, I am fairly sure there is a 14-day law that allows anything to be returned if the customer changes his or her mind about a purchase. Some people bring things back because the colour doesn't match whatever they intended it for, for example, and we cannot give a refund. Customers complain and saying they're going to write to Watchdog, and at the moment I sympathize with them. Am I right to feel this way?

Name not supplied

A In a word, no. Only goods that are defective, not fit for their purpose, mis-described or of unsatisfactory quality are eligible for refunds, and even then consumers have to act within a certain amount of time. There is no 14-day law that allows them to return items simply because they have changed their mind and no longer want them.

This means it is fine for a customer to return a jacket, say, that was sold as leather but turns out to be PVC, even if there is nothing wrong with the quality of the garment. But retailers do not have to provide refunds to customers who buy items and return them simply because they're not the desired colour.